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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

東江水道


東江水道
Originally uploaded by a9000068

麥理浩徑第十段

吉慶橋邊
東江水道

滔滔東江水流入大欖涌水塘

(2010年, 年初三)

Sunday, February 07, 2010

好High的精子

生物學家又有新發現:

Revealed: The Secret of the Sperm’s Wild Dash to the Egg

精子進入女體後, 不是死未的往前衝, 而是採取留前鬥後的策略。 但無腦的精子, 怎麼可以運用這樣的策略呢? 今期的Cell雜誌, 生物學家便解開相關的生物化學反應之謎。

好啦, 這是一本正經的描述, 有點淡出鳥來。 最有趣的是這同時解開, 為何吸食大麻可能引致不育! 原來不是大麻會傷害精子, 而是大麻隨了令吸食者high, 亦同時令吸食者的精子也high. 好High的精子於是過早便耗盡氣力, 於是便游不到卵子處!

LOL

Thursday, February 04, 2010

量子葉力

植物把光能以碳水化合物形式儲存,即光合作用,是不可思議的有效率。 在今期的《Nature》,化學家指出「高效之迷」的可能答案,是植物懂得使用量子力學

數年前,科學家首次發現細菌蛋白的電子在77K(即-196ºC)會跟隨量子纏結現象,而不是經典物理。而今次科學家是對室溫下的海藻進行實驗,用激光射向海藻的接收蛋白,並測量另一端的某個蛋白分子,肯定了兩端電子存在纏結現象。換句說話,量子纏結亦出現在活的生命系統中。

量子纏結現象,容許多個粒子在同一時間以不同形態存在。今個研究的帶頭人Greg Scholes在《Wired.com》給出以下比喻:『如果有三條路,不知那一條最快。在量子力學中,我可以同時行走這三條路,中途不會有任何測量,直至到逹目的地。這樣子,就肯定能選取最快的路線。』

雖然科學家還不肯定應用量子力學在植物界有多普遍,但若量子纏結真的普遍,便解答了光合作用的高效之迷。

(譯自Quantum Leaf? Algae Use Physics Trick to Boost Photosynthesis Efficiency

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Bdelloidea and Superman

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman (Season 3 Episode 11) Home Is Where The Hurt Is:

Superman, a human-like creature with incredible ability. He can fly, he can survive in outer space, and his body is as strong as steel. Suddenly he is infected with Kryptonian virus which can kill him. The only cure is to take him to the verge of death, thus stave off the virus, and then bring him back.

超人, 有不可思議能力的外星人. 他能飛, 能在太空生存, 而且有鋼鐵般的身體. 突然間他被致命的外星病毒入侵. 唯一療法是把他推至死亡邊緣, 從而把病毒餓死, 再把他救活過來.

The Secret to the Sex-less Rotifer’s Success: It’s Blowing in the Wind:

Bdelloidea, a class of rotifers with incredible ability. It is female-only, it can survive high radiation and it can adapt foreign DNA to diversify its genetic pool. Suddenly it is infected with parasitic fungus which could kill it. The only cure is to dehydrate itself to death, thus stave off the fungus, and then it will return to life once it contacts water (either it is taken to water by wind or there is raining).

蛭態目, 頗為奇怪的一個輪形動物. 它只有雌性, 能在高幅射下存活, 而且能吸納異種DNA以壯大它的基因庫. 突然間它被致命的寄生真菌入侵. 唯一療法是自行脫水, 從而把真菌乾死, 然後它會在接觸水後復活 (被風吹去水裡或通過下雨).

[Which is weirder, TV series or Mother Nature? 哪個更詭異, 電視劇或大自然?]